Kuro Kishi: Jikan ryokō (Dark Knight: Time Traveler)
by Marie Thompson
Summary: (ON HIATUS FOR NOW) After the tear in time resealed, Kyo, Tohru, Ciel, and Sebastian thought their adventures were over. They just weren't counting on one more element disturbing the space/time continuum. Kuroshitsuji x Fruits Basket x Doctor Who crossover Sequel to Kuro Kishi, Shiro Pōn : Black Knight, White Pawn and Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō Black Knight : Dark Queen
1. One Dark and Stormy Night

**This is a sequel to Kuro Kishi, Shiro Pōn : Black Knight, White Pawn and Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō Black Knight : Dark Queen. If you have not yet read these two stories, I strongly suggest that you do.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, Black Butler, or Doctor Who. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Please note: I'm mainly basing this story off of the manga for both Black Butler and Fruits Basket, but will use references and such from the anime on both where it is needed to further the story. With that said, please enjoy the story.

Also, I am still currently writing this but will try to stay ahead of myself. I hope to upload a chapter a week, of varying lengths.

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound came again, always three taps followed by several seconds of silence. It was annoying, even with the storm raging outside, a storm that hadn't let up for over a day now. "Sebastian, can't you _do_ something about that?" Ciel Phantomhive complained as he leaned against the desk in the study.

It had been a rather wet winter so far, and spring wasn't looking much better. But even with the constant thrumming of the rain from outside, that insistent tapping sound kept coming from inside. It sounded like water dripping, or something hitting something, though Ciel hadn't made up his mind as to which was more likely. Unfortunately, no matter how much the butler looked, he couldn't find the source of that sound. No leaks in the roof. No drippy pipes.

"I'm sorry, young master," Sebastian Michaelis apologized. "As I am unable to ascertain what is causing the sound, I don't know that I can silence it any time soon. I will, of course, continue to search for the source and will deal with it accordingly."

Ciel let out a growl of frustration. In all his thirteen years! He clenched his fist, the blue stone ring cutting into his hand. It was the symbol of his house, the proud line of Phantomhive, guard dog of Queen Victoria of England. "This is inexcusable!"

"I quite agree," the butler nodded. It was most disconcerting that he could not discover the source. He'd checked and triple checked every cornice and crevice. Even now, he had the rest of the staff searching for the cause. Unfortunately, it never seemed to stay still, moving as those who searched for it moved.

The thirteen-year-old earl slammed one fist down on the desk. Even though the fire was well stocked, the study still felt musty and damp. "I've had enough," he declared as he stood from the padded chair. "Must it rain day in and day out?" He picked up his cane and began pacing the room.

With a sigh, Sebastian watched his young charge circle the room like a caged animal. His butler's badge gleamed in the firelight, his dark suit blending with the shadows. Even though it was nearing the boy's usual bedtime, he wisely chose to not mention it.

Due to the rain, there had not been any recent visitors. Though a bit of a blessing, it meant that Ciel was bored to tears. And the more bored he was, the more irritable he became. "Sebastian," he said, coming to a sudden halt, "I'm going to bed. I'm tired of this humdrum. But I fully expect you to uncover whatever is making that awful sound and end it."

With that said, the earl turned on his heels and left the room. He didn't need to look behind him to know that his butler would follow. It was perfectly natural for him to maintain a silent escort. After all, he had to help him prepare for bed. It was part of his duty.

Down the hall they went, Ciel's cane tapping along, with the occasional triple tap hounding them. The boy ground his teeth but didn't comment, silently wondering how he'd be able to sleep with that noise. Instead, he paused, waiting for the sound to stop. Just as he thought it might have finally ceased, a series of loud thumps came from the direction of the main doors, followed by the ringing of the bell.

"Who on earth?" Ciel uttered as he moved towards the grand staircase. Sebastian was not far behind him, holding the candelabra high. "Sebastian," the boy demanded, looking towards the doors.

The butler needed no further instruction as he headed towards the entrance, the boy following at a slower pace. It was a matter of moments before he reached the ornately carved entryway, pausing before reaching for the handle.

The last time someone had come to them in the middle of a raging storm, he and Mey-Rin had been the ones to go out. They'd found a young girl named Tohru, and her half-drowned cursed friend, Kyo, who transformed between a human and a cat. And that meeting had set a series of adventures into motion, including a jaunt to their two visitors' own time in the future. He doubted he would find either Kyo Sohma or Tohru Honda on the other side of the door, but anything was possible.

"What are you waiting for?" Ciel inquired as he stood at the top of the stairs. Thoughts of Tohru and Kyo filled his mind, even though it had been months since their last adventure together. He doubted the two had crossed through the tear in time a second time. Sebastian had monitored the phenomena most carefully, finally determining that it had finally resealed itself. He doubted his late night visitors were of the time traveling type.

The pounding sound came again as whoever was on the other side of the door knocked once more. Sebastian could detect the presence of two souls. He felt certain was male, the other female. He sensed enough to realize there was something off about the male, though he couldn't place his finger on what. But he felt sure he'd know the moment he opened the door.

Without any further hesitation, the butler opened the door. The sound of rain instantly filled the air. And just under the awning stood two people, neither of which he recognized.

"Ello," greeted the male, using a rather chipper tone. "Seems my companion and I've had a bit of a breakdown. Mind if we use your telephone?"

* * *

Saki Hanajima had felt a bit uneasy all day. It had gotten so bad that her friend, Arisa Uotani, had noticed it. She was usually quite good at disguising any emotion, except when it came to Tohru.

"Hey, Hana," Arisa called out to her friend. It was lunchtime and her friend usually took full advantage of that period. "You okay?" Overhead, birds chirped. All around, other students chatted in their little groups, ignoring the Goth-dressed girl, and the former Yankee with blonde hair.

The dark-haired girl looked up, a definite air of distraction on her face. "I'm sorry, Arisa. Did you need something?"

Arisa raised her eyebrows, dark in contrast to her light hair, looking pointedly at the uneaten bento lunch in front of her friend. "You're not getting sick or anything, are you? You've barely touched your lunch."

Hearing this, Tohru looked up from her homework. She moved towards her friend, a frown on her face. Hana always ate all of her lunch, and sometimes parts of her friends' as well. Placing a hand on Hana's forehead, she let out a sigh of relief. "You don't feel like you have a fever," she observed.

The psychic girl shook her head, her hair fanning out around her. "I'm fine," she assured. A far away look passed across her face. "It's just that…"

"Just what?" Arisa asked as she popped a chip into her mouth and chewed.

Hana cocked her head to one side. "Can't you hear that? It sounds like someone is tapping, but I can't figure out where it's coming from."

Tohru strained to hear, Arisa doing the same. "Maybe?" The brunette resettled her lunch box, setting the books aside. "Tap. Tap. Tap. Like that?"

Arias shrugged her shoulders. "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly like that," Hana confirmed. "I've heard it all morning but can't seem to figure out where it's coming from."

Before they could discuss the sound any further, Kyo and Hatsuharu Sohma joined them on the grass. "Hey," Kyo said with a nod of his head.

Haru took a seat next to the orange-haired boy and stared absently at the sky. "Man. I thought for sure we'd get detention," he commented to no one in particular. "That sure was a lucky break."

"Speak for yourself," Kyo grumbled as he pulled at his black shirt color. "I'm not the one who got caught trying to sneak into the girl's locker room."

Tohru's eyes almost bulged as she listened to their conversation. "Kyo! You didn't!" She covered her mouth in shock.

The orange-haired boy rolled his eyes. "Please. Not me. Haru. I went to find him and got pulled into the mess. Good thing I talked the teacher into forgetting about it. I mean, once I explained how his sense of direction sucks and all that."

"Whatever," Haru said as he contemplated the insides of his eyelids.

Kyo scowled at his younger cousin. "And you didn't so much as say thank you, either!"

"And just what you were doing n the girl's locker room?" Arisa asked, her eyes narrowing. Her expression left Tohru wondering if the former Yankee's lead pipe would be making an appearance. The idea of her friend fighting the Sohma boy was more than enough to make her heart pound in fear.

Haru looked over at the girl. "Trying to find what was making that tapping sound. It's been going on all morning. Three taps, pause, and on again. Over and over again. It's annoying."

"Ah," Hana said as her back straightened. "Yet another one who can hear it. And did you find the source?" she leaned forward.

The black and white-haired boy flopped back on the grass, head resting on his hands. "Nah. A teacher caught me before I found it. I'm still not even sure if it was coming from there or not."

"I see," Hana responded. "That is most unfortunate. I would have liked to know."

Arisa looked between the two, an incredulous look on her face. "You too? Really?" She groaned.

Tohru looked between her three friends and thought. "Maybe we should try to find out what's causing it together," she suggested. "If there are more people looking, we might have a better chance."

"A fine idea," Hana applauded. "Let's look now." She surged to her feet, putting the bento box back in her bag.

"Now?" Arisa stared up in shock. "Are you out of your mind? Lunch is almost over and we have to go back to class."

Kyo snorted. "Since when did you care about skipping class? You do it all the time." He thought about the last endurance run and how the girl hadn't shown up for any part of school that day.

Arisa bristled at her tone. "Since everyone lost their sense of reason! That's when." The two glared daggers at each other.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Hana inserted. "We still have some time before the bell rings. If we hurry, we should be fine."

Haru looked up from his prone position. "I'm game if everyone else is. Just make sure we don't' run into any teachers while we're at it and I'm good."

Tohru's face lit up. "This should be fun! I've never done anything like this before!" She got to her feet, stuffing her books back into her pack. "And it's as Hana said, if we hurry, we can still make it to class on time."

Kyo let out an exaggerated sigh, but got to his feet. "Fine. But it sure is a weird day when I have to act as the voice of reason."

Arisa almost laughed at that comment but refrained. There was a decided grain of truth in that statement. "Fine," she gave in. "Let's go before I change my mind."

"Yeah!" Tohru exclaimed as she took Hana's and Kyo's hands in hers. "Let's go!"


	2. Unexpected Visitors

**This is a sequel to Kuro Kishi, Shiro Pōn : Black Knight, White Pawn and Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō Black Knight : Dark Queen. If you have not yet read these two stories, I strongly suggest that you do.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, Black Butler, or Doctor Who. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Please note: I'm mainly basing this story off of the manga for both Black Butler and Fruits Basket, but will use references and such from the anime on both where it is needed to further the story. With that said, please enjoy the story.

Also, I am still currently writing this but will try to stay ahead of myself. I hope to upload a chapter a week, of varying lengths.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Lightning flashed, filling the front hall with more light than was usual for evening. The rain continued to pound as Sebastian just stood there, staring at the two strange visitors. It wasn't that he was trying to be rude. It was more that he was somewhat puzzled by what his senses were telling him. The woman was all right, but the man? There was decidedly something wrong with his physiology.

"Who is it, Sebastian," Ciel called from his perch at the top of the stairs. From his vantage, he couldn't quite see his visitors. But he could tell from the voice of the man that he didn't know him. He caught a hint of blonde hair as the woman turned to face her companion.

"Are you sure about this, Doctor," the woman asked quietly, looking at her companion.

"Well, we don't have much choice now, do we," came the reply. "I'm not even sure where we are."

Sebastian cleared his throat. "It would seem that we have two wayward travelers who have suffered an unfortunate incident that has left them stranded," he called out to his master. "They request the use of our telephone. Do I let them in?"

Ciel raised a quizzical brow, his one eye covered with a patch giving him more of a roguish look as he began to descend the stairs. "Another set of wayward travelers? We seem to get them in spades, despite living out of the usual way. If we lived closer to Town, I would not be as surprised."

At the earl's remarks, the woman gave her companion a look that easily could have said, "I told you so." By the looks of them both, they'd definitely come through the rain. Their clothes were soaked, though definitely not typical. Well, the man's was all right, but the woman? Ciel pursed his lips. Another set of time travelers? Intriguing. "Let them in," he ordered.

"Thanks," the man called Doctor said as he stepped over the threshold, dripping water onto the polished marble. The blond woman followed after him, jumping a bit as Sebastian closed the door with a resounding thud. She was wearing pants of a nature similar to ones the boy earl had seen in the future. A jacket covered her top. "You don't want to know just how long we've been out traipsing in the rain. Nightmare, let me tell you."

Ciel put on his best host face, his cane held in front of him by both hands. His tailored jacket and half pants revealed the platform wedge shoes he wore to give an added sense of height to his diminutive form. It was easy to believe he was of the noble born.

"Allow me to present the earl Ciel Phantomhive," Sebastian said with a bow.

The Doctor's eyes lit up. "An earl, eh? Fancy that now."

"A bit young to be a full out earl, isn't he," his companion asking, her eyes betraying her incredulous attitude.

The earl clenched his teeth at the comment, but schooled his face credibly. "Welcome to my humble abode," he smiled warmly, pulling out the charm reserved for the usual guests. "And though it is true that I am quite young for such a title, it is as my butler says."

The Doctor gave his companion a bit of a disapproving look. "See, Rose? It's just like I was telling you. Not everything is as it seems."

Sebastian cleared his throat, one gloved hand to his lips as he reminded their guests of their manners.

The man's eyebrows rose in comprehension. "Ah! Right! Sorry about that," he apologized. "I'm Mr. Smith and this is my traveling companion, Rose Tyler. I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but as I was telling your butler, we had a bit of a snafu and find ourselves lost. And we were wondering if we might use your telephone to call for some help, a cab perhaps."

Ciel couldn't help but want to laugh. "Would that be Doctor Smith? I'm afraid that even if you were to use the telephone, there wouldn't be anyone able to come rescue you at this time of night," he informed the odd pair. "You see, with this amount of rain, the roads are quite impassible."

Dr. Smith nodded sagely. "Ah, yes, I quite see your point. I hadn't thought of that." He looked absent mindedly off into space. "And yeah, I suppose, Doctor Smith works."

Rose gave him an exasperated look. "I told you it wouldn't work out," she reminded. "Miles of trees and only this place in sight. I really don't know what the TARDIS was thinking this time."

The man shrugged, ruffling through his brown hair. "Well, yeah. I suppose you did, but we had to try. It never hurts to give something a go."

Ciel exchanged glances with his butler. What a most interesting spectacle those two made. He refrained from asking about what a TARDIS was, be it a thing or organization. He could find out later. "I don't mean to interrupt," the boy began, "but it sounds as though you might be in need of lodging for the night."

The two strangers looked up at that. Dr. Smith scratched at the back of his head again. "Well, I don't know as I'd go that far. I mean, not exactly…"

"Yes," Rose finished for him as she gave him a look. "I'm not traipsing all the way back in this weather." She looked down at her dripping clothes, a set of blue jeans and jacket flung over a sleeveless shirt with a British flag pattern.

Sebastian eyed the situation with a quizzical brow. If his thoughts were on the same line as his master's, he rather thought that the offer let them stay had been given in the hopes of learning more about this strange couple. He looked towards the earl with a questioning brow. "Should I have the guest rooms prepared, my lord?"

Ciel allowed a partial smirk as he nodded. "Please do," he answered before turning back to Dr. Smith and his companion. "I would like to offer you the hospitality of my household. If there is anything you need, please let my butler, Sebastian Michaelis, or any other of my staff know. In the meantime, I'm sure you would both like the opportunity to warm up by the fire."

Rose exchanged an exultant smile with her doctor friend. "I wouldn't mind drying out a bit," she said. "Beats being wet."

Sebastian smiled in amusement. "If you would follow me," he indicated with a half bow, using one hand to point the direction to the reception room. "I will have a fresh pot of tea brought while your rooms are prepared. I hope you do not mind that they are separate." He gave a knowing look.

"Fine by me," Rose said, looking like she was about ready to burst from some joke.

"Good idea," Doctor Smith nodded. "Wouldn't be proper to share a room now, would it?"

Ciel watched after them as Sebastian led the way. He knew his butler would soon not only have them drinking tea, but have their rooms ready in a blink of an eye. And he wouldn't bother the other servants who had likely given up the search for that knocking sound and gone to bed. Well, all but one. His newest footman would probably keep up the search for as long as his snakes lasted. With a bit of a yawn, he followed behind his guests, ready to entertain them for at least a little bit before turning in.

* * *

The school bell rang, causing Tohru to jump guiltily. "Maybe we really should go to class," she worried. "I mean I've never purposely skipped class without a good reason." She didn't count the time she left early during the endurance run. After all, Yuki had suffered an asthma attack and needed someone to look after him.

Haru moved as if to clean out his ear with one finger. "Maybe," he admitted.

"Maybe?" Kyo scoffed. "Should have thought about that before we ended up all the way out by the fields!" He scowled.

Hana stared impassively towards the main building. "Perhaps you are right." She thought she caught a faint shimmer of energy out of the corner of her eye, a shimmer that should not have been there. Despite that, it felt familiar, like the one she'd felt that eventful day not too long ago. "Let's go back."

"Seriously?" Arias couldn't help but grown. "You mean I followed you all the way out here for nothing?"

Tohru shrugged sheepishly. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I really thought I heard it coming from over here. Guess I was wrong." Her face fell in disappointment.

"Eh…" Kyo uttered, feeling his muscles tense up. He hated to see Tohru disappointed. It twisted up his insides.

Hana moved off, heading back towards the school. "Let's go this way." She pointed as she walked. "It might be faster." The direction she indicated passed by the storage sheds for the outdoor equipment.

The others in their group shrugged but followed her lead as she moved towards the standalone building. The psychic girl moved as though following a scent trail, going carefully and quietly. Just as they were about to pass the storage shed, she paused. "Do you hear that?"

Tohru listened, a look of intense concentration passing over her face. "It sounds like rain," she said in surprise.

"Heavy rain," Kyo scowled.

Arisa looked up at the clear sky. "You think someone left a faucet on?"

Hatsuharu shook his head. "Nah. That definitely sounds like rain."

"In here," Hana said as she moved to open the storage she'd sliding door. "I'm sure the sound is coming form inside."

The others followed as she pushed the door open and went inside, crowding behind her. But no matter how much they looked, nothing seemed out of place.

"Looks like nothing's out of place," Arisa commented as she scratched the back of her head. "But I still hear the rain."

Tohru let out a gasp as she turned to exit the building. "Look!" she exclaimed, pointing at the open doorway.

Everyone turned at her exclamation. Instead of seeing the field outside, a sheet of falling rain obscured the view.

"What the…?" Arisa said with wide eyes.

"Not again," Kyo cursed, remembering a similar looking scene from several months ago. Images of being caught out in a torrential downpour with Tohru filled his mind. That had been an experience he did not want to repeat.

Haru moved towards the phenomena and stared. "Well, that's something you don't see every day."

Hana remained impassive as she observed the space in front of them. She sensed the same properties, as the time traveling earl and his butler had possessed when they had come up from Victorian London. "This should be interesting," she commented.


	3. Down the Rabbit Hole

**This is a sequel to Kuro Kishi, Shiro Pōn : Black Knight, White Pawn and Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō Black Knight : Dark Queen. If you have not yet read these two stories, I strongly suggest that you do.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, Black Butler, or Doctor Who. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Please note: I'm mainly basing this story off of the manga for both Black Butler and Fruits Basket, but will use references and such from the anime on both where it is needed to further the story. With that said, please enjoy the story.

Also, I am still currently writing this but will try to stay ahead of myself. I hope to upload a chapter a week, of varying lengths.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

The Doctor settled lightly on the couch, aware that his wet clothes were likely to dampen the expensive upholstery. Rose chose to stand. The room they'd been led to was spacious and well furnished, perfect for easy conversation. There was the added bonus of a roaring fireplace. "Now this is more like it," he commented as the earl took up a chair across from him. "Very nice indeed."

Ciel smiled at the compliment. "Thank you. My ancestors took great pride in their home, as do I." He noted Sebastian leaving the room after adjusting the damper on the fireplace and nodded to himself.

Rose looked around the room, moving closer to the fire. "Crazy weather," she said, trying to make small talk. "Seems like it's gone on forever."

"If I might be so bold," Ciel said, focusing his attention on the man in a brown suit, "Just what kind of doctor are you?"

Dr. Smith turned his attention back to his host, reminding himself that he had more than enough time to look around later. "Oh, you know. A bit of this, a bit of that," he answered noncommittally. "Not medical, mind you. I'm more of a scholarly fellow."

"Ah," Ciel answered, playing with his cane. "Do you teach at a university then? And what about your companion? Rose Tyler, wasn't it?"

Rose looked up from investigating the mantelpiece. "Me? I'm just sort of a traveling companion, really. Helping out a bit here and there." She glanced back at the intricate carvings. "Scuse me, but is this made from oak?"

Ciel was saved from having to answer as the door opened and a very red-haired made pushed in a teacart. She wore thick, round glasses, with a ruffled cap on her head. And even though her apron was starched and clean, she seemed the messy type. "Pardon me," she said, "but Mr. Sebastian said to bring some tea."

"Excellent!" The Doctor exclaimed as he moved to help her. "Nothing like a nice spot o' tea to warm a chap up." He waited for the maid to pour a cup before moving to join Rose by the fire. "Spot of tea, Rose?"

The blond-haired woman gave a bit of a silly grin as she looked into his infectious smile. "Oh all right," she agreed, taking the cup.

The maid moved to bring another cup of tea for the Doctor but stopped as Rose turned, revealing her unorthodox attire in full. The cup clattered on the saucer so much that it fell before either guest could retrieve it.

"Mey-Rin!" Ciel looked aghast at the fallen china, the cup's handle broken as it lay on top of the stain. The cup, itself, was in several pieces.

Mey-Rin's entire face went scarlet as she dropped down to her knees. "I'm so sorry," she blubbered. "Mr. Sebastian's gonna kill me!" She reached for the broken pieces with trembling hands.

"Here," Rose offered as she moved to help her, picking up a napkin to try and help absorb the spilled beverage. "It's okay," she soothed. "We all know it was an accident."

A heavy sigh came from the still open doorway as Sebastian returned. "Honestly," he gave a look of long suffering. "Can you not do something as simple as serving tea?" The butler moved into the room. "Ms. Tyler, you needn't help clean up the mess."

Rose moved to stand but caught her finger on the edge of a broken piece. "Ouch," she hissed, automatically bringing her finger to her mouth. "It wasn't her fault," she emphasized, not sure if the maid was overstating things or if she was really serious.

"You've hurt your hand," Ciel observed as he stood from his chair. "Sebastian."

The butler brought out a towel from who knew were, handing it to the still mumbling maid, then moved to Rose's side. "If you would allow me," he offered, holding out a white-gloved hand.

Rose eyed the butler a bit awkwardly but presented the injured appendage for inspection. "It's really not that bad. Just a little cut."

Sebastian inspected her injured finger with an air of precision. "That may be true, but it would not do to allow a guest of the Phantomhive estate to be neglected. If you will allow it, I would like to disinfect and dress your wound."

"Let's have a look," the Doctor said, moving closer to the action. He took Rose's hand and gave her cut a glance before letting her go. "Looks bad enough," he acknowledged. "Might as well let him clean it up for you. Can't have you putting it to chance, now can we?"

Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes but nodded at Sebastian to give her permission. She looked at the injury, watching as a slight trickle of blood escaped the wound. "Sure."

Sebastian left the room to procure a first aid kit, returning in record time. Meanwhile, Mey-Rin stared into space, the towel he'd given her still in hand. "It's all me fault," she kept mumbling.

The butler returned and gently took Rose's hand once more, using a strong astringent that made her wince slightly. "Please do bare with it," he urged as he applied the medicine. "It will last but a moment." The cut cleansed, he wrapped her finger in a bandage cut to the proper length. "There."

He closed the kit with a snap, then turned to see if Mey-Rin had finished with her job yet. Sebastian sighed as he realized that the maid had zoned out. He gently took the cloth from her, steering her towards the door to finish the guest room preparations. That accomplished, he returned to finish cleaning up the mess. When he was done, he presented both Rose and the Doctor with a fresh cup of tea. "Mey-Rin has some excellent qualities," he said by way of apology. "Unfortunately, she is prone to being overly clumsy at times."

The Doctor nodded sagely. "Ah yes. Good help can be hard to come by," he noted. "Though I'm sure she's not used to seeing another woman dressed like that."

"Quite right," Sebastian agreed. "I'm sure the storm does not help either."

Ciel reclaimed his seat and smiled in a half distracted manner. "I'm just glad your injury was not more serious," he said as he nodded towards Rose. "I hope you will not think less of my servants because of this."

Rose almost breathed in her tea at his comment. "No, it's fine," she said, trying not to gasp like a fish out of water.

"All's well that ends well, right?" The Doctor smiled as he held his cup and saucer. "Oh goodness," he added as he yawned hugely. "Sorry, but it has been a rather long day for the both of us. Lots of walking and the like. I feel quite tuckered out."

The young earl nodded as he glanced at the mantle clock. The hour was indeed growing late. He had to stifle a yawn of his own. "There is no need to apologize," he replied. "It is getting rather late and your rooms should be prepared by no. Sebastian!" The butler moved towards his butler. "Please show our guests to their rooms."

Sebastian bowed, his dark hair pitching forward. "Yes, my lord." He turned towards the Doctor and his companion. "If you would be so kind as to follow me, I will show you to your rooms. I hope you do not mind that they are across the hall from each other."

The Doctor moved to follow the butler. "Nah. That's fine. I'm good with that. Rose?" He turned back to look inquiringly at his companion, who hastily set her cup down and followed after them.

* * *

"There's got to be another way out," Arisa said as he pushed her hair out of her face. Several minutes had passed since they'd discovered the strange phenomena of the rain in the doorway. And during those minutes, she'd almost feverishly looked for another way out. "This can't be real."

"It's real," Hana said in her usual noncommittal tone. "We have but two options. We can wait here and hope the door will return to normal. Or we can go investigate this interesting development."

Kyo shook his head. "There ain't no way in hell," he commented. He didn't know how his body would react going into such a storm, being weak to them and all. Not to mention going out there with a bunch of girls who didn't know about the curse. What could they do if he should suddenly transform? But the longer they remained in this enclosed space, the more likely it was that he'd accidentally come into contact with either Arisa or Hana too. Either way was a no win situation.

"I'm not afraid of a little rain," Haru commented as he leaned against a stack of mats, his arms folded.

"A little rain?" Arisa asked with incredulous eyes. "Are you serious? That's not a little rain. That's torrential downpour, a hurricane. Anything but a little. We can't even see what else is out there."

"A forest," Tohru half whispered. She rather thought she recognized the grounds as well. If she peered closely, she could just make out the same kinds of trees that surrounded the Phantomhive estate. She'd traversed them enough to recognize them.

Everyone turned to look at her, Kyo groaning as he realized she was right. "Oh hell," he cursed. "Might as well just go out there and get it done and over with. No sense just sitting around waiting for something that might not happen."

"Kyo," Tohru protested, "Are you sure? I mean…" She trailed off, not sure that she wanted to finish. Not many knew about their little jaunt in time. Hana knew, but not the other two.

Kyo shrugged. "What else we gonna do? It's not like we can get out any other way. Might as well just go for it and see what happens."

"Kyo is right," Hana interjected. "We won't get anywhere by just staying here. This is something that might last for some time. And while some might be willing to wait this out, I would rather not." Her stomach rumbled and she looked a bit ruffle. "Besides, we don't have any snacks with us."

Arisa groaned. "Really? Can't you think about something besides your stomach at a time like this?"

"I say we just go for it," Haru emphasized. "What have we got to lose?"

Tohru watched as her friends debated. If things got too heated, physical contact might come into play. And that could be potentially very bad. She clapped her hands, forcing a smile. "Okay, let's go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"

The others looked at each other, either shrugging or nodding heads. Since nothing seemed to be changing, it was definitely the best course of action. "Let's go," Haru echoed as he stepped up to the doorway.

Kyo grabbed Tohru's hand while Hana grabbed the other. Arisa took up Hana's hand while Kyo grabbed Haru with his free hand. "On three," the orange-haired boy intoned. "One. Two. Three."

As one, they all stepped out into the rain. An almost sickening sense filled everyone, reminding Kyo of a funhouse gone wrong. But the sensation subsided after a few seconds. Unfortunately, in about the same amount of time, they were soaked from the torrential downpour.

"Okay, now what?" Arisa wondered. Then she looked behind just to see. The storage shed was gone, like it had never been there. She let out an involuntary shiver.

Tohru peered around, more sure now of their location than she had previously been. "This way," she said, letting go of her partners' hands. "If I'm remembering correctly, there should be a mansion somewhere ahead."

Haru raised an eyebrow at that declaration but wisely chose not to comment. Instead, he glanced over at Kyo who had a decided drained look on his face. "Hey, you okay? Want me to carry you?"

Kyo slapped aside his cousin's offering, straightening up. "I'm fine. It's just a little rain." He shoved ahead to keep pace with Tohru. Out of all of them, she'd have the most likely sense of direction, though he had his doubts. Even though they'd both traveled in this region before, at least he thought they had, he wasn't sure which direction was which.

The former Yankee and psychic followed the trio without comment. After all, their antics were on par with the usual. That, and the weather had a dampening effect. Shoes squelched as they walked, though Hana seemed to give more attention to their surroundings than her friends did.

"I wish I knew what time it was," Tohru voiced as she looked for any landmarks that looked familiar. "It's so dark I can't tell if it's daytime or nighttime."

"It's nighttime," Hana supplied, though no one bothered to ask how she knew. "I would think it closer to morning, though."

It didn't take long before a new sound filled their ears. It sounded like something roaring. After a few more steps, it became obvious that a river was making the sound. "This isn't right," Tohru exclaimed.

Haru exchanged glances with Kyo. "Well, hey, it gives us something more solid to follow, if you get my meaning. A river has to lead somewhere, right?"

Arisa agreed. "Yeah. Isn't there usually a bridge or something to cross them? Maybe if we go far enough we'll cross a road."

"Or become even more lost," Kyo argued.

The blond stopped and glared at him, hands on her hips. "And what would you suggest? Climb a tree and wait for the storm to blow out? I don't think so. I'm already cold and wet. If following a damn river means getting out of the rain sooner, I'm all for it. After all, it wasn't really my idea to go on this crazy adventure in the first place."

"Please don't fight!" Tohru exclaimed. "I'm sure we'll come across a road or something soon so let's just keep going. We can't be too far from some kind of shelter."

"Fine," Kyo grumped but they continued on, now following the course of the river, staying as far away from it as possible to not get swept in but still be able to use it as a guide.


	4. More Visitors

**This is a sequel to Kuro Kishi, Shiro Pōn : Black Knight, White Pawn and Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō Black Knight : Dark Queen. If you have not yet read these two stories, I strongly suggest that you do.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, Black Butler, or Doctor Who. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Please note: I'm mainly basing this story off of the manga for both Black Butler and Fruits Basket, but will use references and such from the anime on both where it is needed to further the story. With that said, please enjoy the story.

Also, I am still currently writing this but will try to stay ahead of myself. I hope to upload a chapter a week, of varying lengths.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Rose all but flopped onto the luxurious bed in the room Sebastian had indicated she would be using. "Fancy," she said to the air, as the butler had not followed her in. Looking around, she noticed a dressing gown had been placed on a chair near the fireplace. She moved over to look at the garment, holding it up by the collar.

"This should be fun," she mused. But at least the garment was dry. And even though she quite liked her current outfit, it was still damp, with the jeans getting uncomfortably tight as they dried. Realizing that it wouldn't do to stay in them, she quickly changed into the volumous nightgown. "Wonder how they knew my size."

Not sure what to do with her wet clothes, she draped them near the fireplace to dry. A cheery blaze chattered at her from inside the firebox as the red and black coal burned. Stifling a yawn, she took a quick tour around the room, noting a small water closet off to one side with a rather old-fashioned looking toilet. But at least it wasn't a chamber pot. She'd rather feared they'd landed in a place with them, but the presence of the more modern convenience was comforting.

A knock came at the door, causing her to jump. She put a hand to her heart as the door opened and the maid, Mey-Rin, entered the room. "You startled me," she confessed as she moved to the bed and sat down.

"Um…" Mey-Rin fiddled with her fingers. "Mr. Sebastian asked me to check in on you so I thought I'd apologize for, you know, earlier."

Rose smiled. "It's okay, really. I'm not mad about it." She looked briefly at her finger wrapped in the thin bandages. "It's fine so you don't need to worry. I hope you didn't get into too much trouble."

The maid's face turned red. "N..n..no!" she stuttered. "Mr. Sebastian's sometimes scary an all but he's nice as butter. And the young master's the best!" She looked around, seeing the clothes drying by the fire. "Um, if you don't mind, I'll wash them clothes for you. Rather odd clothes, them."

Rose stood to take the clothes to her but Mey-Rin beat her to it. "Any ways, I'll just be off with these," the maid continued. "Ring the bell if you need anything!" With that, the maid left the room, clothes in hand.

The London girl shook her head in amusement. "What an interesting place we've landed in, now, isn't it." Supposing that the Doctor truly was as tired as he'd seemed, she decided to wisely go to bed.

* * *

The rain continued to pound down, churning the mud into a sloppy mess that left the five intrepid travelers not only soaked but coated with watered down mud. They'd followed the course of the river for what felt like hours, though how accurate that assessment might be was impossible to tell. The degree of light had not changed.

"Hey, look," Haru pointed ahead of them.

Arisa peered into the gloom. "Is that what I think it is?" Her spirits suddenly lifted at the prospect.

"It's a road," Hana confirmed. "Which means…"

"We've reached some semblance of civilization," Haru finished for her. "Finally." He tried to wipe the rainwater from his forehead but it was in vain.

"Looks like there's a bridge," Tohru commented as they drew closer. But even if they'd wanted to use the bridge, it was impossible. The water rushed over the surface, making it too dangerous to navigate, despite the stone railings on either side. She rather thought she recognized the bridge. The only question was which side of it were they on? If they were on the wrong side, it would take forever to reach any shelter. She rather hoped they were on the right side, the side that led to Ciel's manor. If not, they had a long trek ahead of them before they reached Town.

"Well," Arisa said, staring at the mess of a road. "Guess we'd better see where it goes."

* * *

Ciel groaned as the lights were turned on and the bed curtains thrown open. "It's too early," he complained as he flung one hand over his eyes.

"Come now, young master," Sebastian admonished as he moved to pour a cup of tea. "Is it really alright to behave such, knowing you have guests?"

The boy earl let out an exaggerated sigh, knowing his butler spoke the truth. And even though it had been quite a late night, he still had duties to perform. And one of those duties was discovering the identities of his rather impromptu guests. "Fine." He accepted the cup of tea, moving so his butler could tie on the usual eye patch. "Have you found anything out about them yet?"

Finished with the patch, Sebastian moved to the set of clothes he'd laid out for the morning. He began to help his master dress as he talked. "There are quite a few interesting things," he informed. "The first being that Dr. Smith cannot possibly be human."

Ciel almost spit out his tea, managing to avoid doing just that by holding it in. unfortunately, he chocked on the beverage as a result. "What do you mean?" he asked as soon as the coughing spell had ceased. "He's not like you, is he?"

Sebastian slipped the boy's heeled shoes over the small feet. "Did I imply such?" He raised a half mocking brow. "No, indeed. He is neither human or demon. He is something outside my experience. The main point of comparison being that he appears to have two hearts."

With that announcement, Ciel almost dropped his cup. He hastily put it down on the nightstand. "How can someone possibly have two hearts?"

Standing, Sebastian brushed off his gloved hands, and then presented the earl with his cane. "I do not know how it is possible, but there can be no mistake. It is almost certain that his soul is quite old. It is possible that he is older than myself. I cannot tell for sure, but I smell something of the heavens on him. I think it would be safe in believing that he is like our previous guests, Ms. Tohru and master Kyo. As such, I took the liberty of sending Snake out to try and sniff their point of origin."

Ciel took the cane with a sweep of his hand as he stood from the bed. "More time travelers? I though you'd said that tear had been sealed."

Sebastian opened the door and bowed his master from the room. "It has," he confirmed. "I made sure to check while you were sleeping. As to how they traveled or from when, I have no answers. However, judging from their accents, we can safely assume that Ms. Tyler, at least, is from England. I believe the good doctor's accent places him more to the north."

"Hmm," Ciel mused as he followed the butler to the breakfast solarium. Since they had guests, he supposed it was just as well that they have breakfast together. "That still doesn't give us much to go on." He paused as the tapping sound from the night before sounded, letting out a growl. "Can't you do anything about that?"

Sebastian shrugged. "I would that I could, as you are well aware. Let us hope that our guests do not notice it. I will investigate it more thoroughly as time permits.

"See that you do," Ciel reprimanded, then quickly changed his demeanor to a smile as he noticed Tanaka and Mey-Rin escorting Dr. Smith and Rose Tyler to the solarium from the opposite direction. "Good morning," he greeted.

At that exact moment, the sound of heavy pounding came from the main entryway. All eyes turned towards the staircase and entrance hall. Ciel looked back at his butler ever so briefly before the man moved to answer the door.

The moment Sebastian opened the door left him speechless. It took a solid second for him to recall himself. "Master Kyo, Ms. Tohru, and your friends," he added as he looked out at the drenched group. "What an unexpected surprise."

Ciel moved to where he could better see what was going. "Who is it, Sebastian?"

The butler turned to smile at his master. "It would seem that we have some more visitors to entertain. Master Kyo and Ms. Tohru have brought a small party of friends. And from the looks of things, they've been out in the rain as well."

Hearing the names of their guests, Ciel hurried towards the door, his expression one of utmost surprise. "Let them in at once!" he ordered as he all but ran down the stairs. "Tanaka!

The older servant bowed from his position near Dr. Smith and Rose. "Yes, young master?"

Looking almost wild eyed, the boy turned to catch the house steward's eyes. "See that five more place settings are added to the table. And make sure the fire is well stoked in the solarium. Ask Mey-Rin to bring a change of clothes for Ms. Tohru and her friends. Then bring a change for Kyo and his cousin. Also, have more rooms prepared for their use."

The Doctor watched this rather odd exchange in mild amusement. "Friends of yours, I take it?" He gave a winning smile as he moved greet the new arrivals. Rose was close behind him, wearing a more fitting dress of a simple design.

Ciel stiffened slightly at the man's question, but quickly changed his expression to a smile. "Yes, you might say that. We've been acquainted for some time, isn't that right, Tohru?"

"Achoo!" Tohru couldn't help but sneeze as Sebastian made way for the group to enter the tiled anteroom. "Excuse me!" The brunette-haired girl sniffled as she nodded. "I'm sorry to bust in on you but we seem to be in a bit of a fix."

Sebastian closed the door behind the party and moved to provide towels for them to try and dry off with. "Ms. Tohru, did something happen?" He quickly gave her a once over, noting her cheeks still remained their usual pallor, unlike the last time they'd encountered each other under similar conditions.

Tohru sneezed again. "Not exactly."

"We were lost in the woods," Hana spoke up as she squeezed water from her long braid. "And with all the rain, we became turned around until we reached the river. From there, we made our way here."

Haru tossed his head to fling water like a dog. Once finished, he accepted the towel handed to him by Sebastian. "Hey, don't I know you from somewhere? Now where was it again?"

"We visited your country some while ago," Sebastian supplied for him before he could say anything that would make their other guests any more suspicious.

Rose moved to join the Doctor, staring at the school uniforms the girls wore. Of the three, only two wore long skirts, while the other wore hers quite short. "Who're they?" she asked her companion.

The Doctor turned to explain. "Seems like they're friends of the earl," he replied. "Not rightly sure where they're from though. Sounds Japanese, but I could be wrong." He pulled out a pair of glasses from his inner coat pocket as he moved closer to the wet group. "What unusual hair colors," he observed, staring pointedly at Kyo and Hatsuharu. "Is that natural?" He pointed at Haru's two-tone hair.

"Yeah, what of it," Haru answered a bit defensively.

Tohru watched the exchange with a worried expression. It wouldn't be good if Haru suddenly snapped. Anything could happen, including the inadvertent revealing of the Sohma Family Curse. And without Hatori near at hand, it would be a little harder to cover up, even if Sebastian could manipulate the mind as well. It was something she'd rather not have happen. Not to mention that bad things happened when Haru went black.

The tension was cut as Tanaka returned. "Young master," he said in his old voice, "The table has been set and Bard assures me everything is ready."

Mey-Rin suddenly careened around the corner, carrying three dresses under one arm. They were the same dresses Ciel had his tailor, Ms. Nina, create for Tohru all those months ago. With luck, they would fit the other two girls. "I brought the dresses, just as you asked!" At the last possible moment, her foot caught on the edge of one of the dresses and she pitched forward.

"Mey-Rin!" Tohru exclaimed in horror as the maid headed towards the hard tiles.

With his quick agility, Sebastian moved in to steady the maid before she could hit the floor. All the same, the girl immediately flushed scarlet. "So sorry! Can't believe I did it again!"

The Doctor turned to their host, his face incredulous. "Is it always like this?"

Ciel let out a bit of a groan, putting one hand to his forehead where a headache was forming. "Unfortunately," he confessed, hoping his servants wouldn't do anything else that could possibly disgrace him.

After the butler had righted the maid, he turned to Tohru. "Ms. Tohru, I do insist you quickly change into dry clothes. It would not do for you to contract a cold," he said to gently remind her of previous events. He made a mental note to bring her a cup of warming tea, with a few additional medicinal herbs thrown in to the brew.

With her head still spinning, Mey-Rin nodded. "This way, please," she said as she wobbled towards the stairs. The three teenage girls followed her.

"She going to be alright?" Rose wondered as she watched the drunkenly walking redhead.

Sebastian smiled in reassurance. "Just another personality quirk. I'm sure you understand."

"This just keeps getting better and better," the Doctor said, rubbing his hands together. "Wouldn't you say? I wonder what'll happen next!" He watched as Tanaka led the boys away to change.

Ciel resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm sure the others won't mind if we adjourn to the solarium ahead of them. Shall we?" His stomach rumbled as he smelled the sweet scent of cinnamon and sugar.


	5. A Rather Awkward Meal

**This is a sequel to Kuro Kishi, Shiro Pōn : Black Knight, White Pawn and Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō Black Knight : Dark Queen. If you have not yet read these two stories, I strongly suggest that you do.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, Black Butler, or Doctor Who. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Please note: I'm mainly basing this story off of the manga for both Black Butler and Fruits Basket, but will use references and such from the anime on both where it is needed to further the story. With that said, please enjoy the story.

Also, I am still currently writing this but will try to stay ahead of myself. I hope to upload a chapter a week, of varying lengths.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Arisa groaned as she settled down into a chair. After having walked what had to have been the majority of whatever night this place held, she was more than ready to curl up and sleep. Her companions looked little better. "You think we could persuade them to let us take at least a little nap?" she asked, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm beat."

Sniffling in another corner, Tohru nodded. Things would have been different if time had run the same as it had last time. But things had somehow become skewed. Instead of showing up in England in a consecutive time, they'd jumped several hours ahead. Not to mention how they'd had to trudge through the pouring rain for hours before even finding the river. Then trudging for even longer just to find the manor. She was more than ready for a nap.

"You really should do something about that sniffle before it becomes a cold," Hana advised as she glanced at Tohru, her eyes showing concern.

All three ladies had changed into the rather comparatively ornate dresses. Mey-Rin had already left with their wet clothes to have them laundered. Now they just waited for the boys to finish with their stuff before heading back down to the promised breakfast. While tiredness was winning out, each felt more than hungry.

"Maybe we can get away with just a quick breakfast," Tohru suggested. "I know Ciel and he's a nice kid. And I'm sure Sebastian would be more than willing to suggest that to him if he doesn't."

Arisa widened her eyes at this comment. "You seem to know them fairly well, don't you." She let out her breath, throwing a hand in the air. "Well, whatever. Even if they don't offer a bed after breakfast, I'm still going to take a nap."

* * *

Kyo tried to stifle a yawn as Haru tried on the shirt Mr. Tanaka had given him. Both had refused the help the house steward had offered, but were more than happy to accept towels to dry off with. "Man," Kyo exclaimed as he shook his head. "So sleepy." He yawned hugely, his eyelids drooping as he sat on one of the rugs.

"Tell me about it," Haru replied as he rubbed at his eyes. The new clothes weren't really to his taste, but at least they sort of fit. It was better than going around naked, not that he really cared either way. He just knew that Tohru and the others wouldn't appreciate it if he did. "So, whadya think we can expect? Kyo? Hey!"

When the younger boy turned to look at his cousin, he saw not the usual ginger-haired boy, but a ginger-haired cat. "Oh. Right." It told him a lot that his older cousin had transformed without the usual pomp and circumstance. "I forgot about the rain." The cat was sound asleep. "This could be problematic."

At that moment, a knock came at the door, causing the boy to whirl around. "Crap." Before he could decide what to do, the door opened and Sebastian filled the doorway.

"I came to escort you to breakfast," Sebastian said. He gave a mild look of surprise at the panicked expression he saw on Haru's face but then smoothed it over as he saw the sleeping cat. "Ah," he said in understanding. "I wondered if that might happen."

Haru's eyes went wide at that comment. "Hey, wait a minute. You know about Kyo?" The hair at the back of his neck threatened to bristle as he fully woke at the idea.

The butler smiled. "But of course. It's my job to know these sorts of things," he replied. "Though you likely won't remember, we did have an encounter while in Japan not too long ago, though I have known about this unique ability for much longer. You may recall that both Ms. Tohru and master Kyo were once guests of this estate."

"Oh yeah," Haru acknowledged, though he wasn't really sure if it was true or not. Either way, the butler knew at least the basics of the curse, though he wondered if he knew who all was cursed by it. "Guess we'd better go find the girls and eat something, huh."

Sebastian bowed, indicating the open doorway. "I believe it would be best," he assured. "But have no fear. I have been sworn to secrecy on this matter, as have those of the servants who know." His thoughts turned briefly to Mey-Rin, who had seen the boy transform that first fateful night. It was not something anyone could easily forget. "The young master is waiting."

Hatsuharu left the room, stopping at the doorway just down the hall where the girls had been taken not too long ago. "Hope they're all still awake," he mumbled to himself as the butler knocked on the door.

After only a few seconds, the door in question opened to reveal Arisa Uotani peeking out from around the frame. "You need something?" She straightened when she realized it was Sebastian at the door. "Oh, hey. It's you. One second." She closed the door again.

Sebastian gave a rather bemused look at the closed door as he waited to see what the ladies would do. He didn't have to wait long as the door opened again; revealing all three teens dressed like elegant ladies of status. The butler cleared his throat. "Lord Phantomhive has asked that I escort you to the solarium for breakfast."

Hana and Arisa moved out into the hall. "Alright," the blond commented. "Let's get this show on the road. I'm starving."

"Yes," Hana agreed. "I am curious to see what kinds of delicacies they may serve in England."

Tohru followed them out with a somewhat sheepish expression. Then she realized Kyo wasn't with Haru and she paused. "Um, where's Kyo? Isn't he coming?" Her comment caused the other ladies to pause, looking back.

"Master Kyo is indisposed," Sebastian said smoothly. "The journey was too much for him and he will join the party at some other point. After he has regained his strength."

Arisa resisted the urge to snort. "Fell asleep, didn't he." She laughed, trying to stifle a yawn. "What a weakling. Let's go already."

Tohru gave a half-hearted smile but followed after her friends. Sebastian moved to the head of the party to make sure they didn't get lost on the way.

* * *

The solarium was lit by means of electrical lighting as the rain continued to sheet down outside. Ciel observed the rain with little interest as he tried to make sense of all the rather interesting developments that had come up since the night before. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that it took Dr. Smith several attempts to break him from his reverie.

The earl blinked as he realized he'd zoned off. "Excuse me," he apologized. "Would you please repeat the question?"

The Doctor exchanged looks with Rose. "I can see you're distracted," he said. "What with everything going on. I gather you weren't exactly expecting guests. Am I right?"

It was hard to not smile when the Doctor smiled and Ciel found he couldn't resist. "You are not far wrong," he replied. "It is usually quite difficult to travel the roads when it rains as it is now. But that isn't to say that the company is considered unpleasant."

"Bravo!" The Doctor applauded. "Now that's a proper chap for you," he said, glancing back at Rose again. "Always ready to turn a cheery phrase. That's what our society is missing. Decorum. Too many people just patter about, too worried about their own little worlds to much care about the bigger picture."

Rose cleared her throat. "But without our "little worlds", how would the bigger one run?" She gave a half smirk, feeling that she had gained some points.

Ciel sipped at his tea. "I have always observed," he began, "that the world seems to be run like a game of chess. Though there are two opposing forces, there is only one king, with all the others as pawns in one form or another."

The Doctor rubbed his hands together with glee. "Oh, but without those pawns, where would the king be? Defenseless and with no ability to move without worry for his safety."

The boy inclined his head. Any comments he might have made, however, were kept from being said as Sebastian entered the room with their newest guests. "Good morning," the earl greeted, giving a charming smile as he stood. "I hope you don't mind that we started without you."

"Oh, no! That's fine!" Tohru reassured as the others moved to the empty chairs. "After all, you weren't expecting us and it would be rude to make you wait just because we showed up."

The Doctor also stood as the ladies were seated, returning to his chair after they'd all sat down. "So," he said, debating on whether or not to spear a second piece of bacon, "I don't think we've all been properly introduced."

Ciel started at that comment. "I beg your pardon," he said. "Dr. Smith, Ms. Tyler, these are my friends from Japan, Tohru, Ms. Hanajima, Ms. Uotani, and Mr. Sohma." He gave a quizzical look towards Sebastian when he realized one of the teens was missing, but understood what had happened when the butler mimed cat ears behind his guests' backs. "My other friend, Kyo, seems to be too fatigued to join us this morning."

The Doctor nodded in understanding. "I suppose the weather has something to do with that, what with rain making most people sleepy." He feigned a yawn to illustrate his point.

Tohru accepted a plate of quiche with lightly sugared toast. "Actually, we're all pretty tired," she confessed. "We got lost in the woods, you see. We've been out there most of the night, trying to find some form of shelter. I was almost afraid we'd never find your place."

Ciel's eyes widened at this confession, but it was the Doctor who first responded to it. He let out a long whistle. "Now that's something, isn't it? Makes Rose and my little jaunt seem less like an adventure and more like a stroll in the park!"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The earl ground his teeth as the sound announced itself. He looked around warily, wondering if they would finally be able to pinpoint its location.

The Doctor and his companion watched as the other guests also paused, looking around with wary faces. He cocked his head to one side, listening as the sound repeated. There were three distinct tapping sounds, followed by silence. It wasn't quite like the sound of water hitting something, but almost like someone knocking on wood. "What's making that sound?"

At that moment, a hissing sound announced the arrival of another servant. All eyes turned towards the door as a lanky man in livery stood in the doorway. He had a snake coiled around his body. His silver-gray hair was longer than Haru's but not as long as Sebastian's. And his skin had patches of scales here and there.

The Doctor's eyes lit up with interest. "Hello. What do we have here?" he was out of his seat and pulling out his glasses before either Ciel or Sebastian could react. He slid the glasses onto his nose and peered closely at the strange man's pale skin. "Remarkable. Absolutely remarkable."

The snake around the man's body hissed. "Doctor! Look out!" Rose warned as she half stood from her chair. Her face filled with fear and revulsion as she saw the fangs in the snake's open mouth.

"Fantastic!" the Doctor exclaimed. "A prefect fusion of reptilian and human DNA."

Tohru stared at the unusual scene. "He looks like Ayame," she breathed. "Except his hair isn't as long and he's not wearing the same kind of clothes."

"What do you think you're doing, says Emily," the man said to the Doctor as he tried to back up a step. His snake continued to hiss at the man in the brown suit, though wisely choosing not to strike. If Sebastian hadn't said anything, he'd best keep things that way.

"Sebastian," Ciel called out in a bored voice.

The butler smiled as he gave a slight bow. "Please pardon the tardy arrival of our newest staff member," he apologized to the guests. "This is Mr. Snake, the young master's new footman."

"Beg your pardon," the Doctor said, straightening up. "I'm Dr. Smith. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand.

Rose eyed the exchange, unconsciously leaning away. "Is it safe?"

Hana closed her eyes and let her senses take in the strange man. "I sense at least ten snakes in the vicinity," she announced.

Tohru squirmed at that announcement. "Did you say ten?!" Thoughts of the first time she'd encountered Ayame filled her head. Of course, once she'd gotten to know him, things had been better.

Ciel couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Was there something you needed?"

Snake seemed to shrink into himself with all the unwanted attention. "Something to report, says Emily," he replied quietly.

Sebastian approached the uncomfortable footman. "Why don't you tell me out in the hallway. It would seem that our guests are not accustomed to your appearance yet." He smoothly escorted Snake out of the room.

"Interesting," Haru commented in a bored voice. He eyed the door the two servants had disappeared through. After a minute, he shrugged and returned to eating breakfast.

Hana looked towards Arisa, who was fingering her lead pipe. "They've gone," she announced. "The snakes have gone. Though I did not detect any hint of malice in them. More like idle curiosity."

The Doctor looked up at that comment, having returned his glasses to their pocket, and sitting down. "Did you say you can sense them?"

"You talk to snakes?" Rose asked incredulously, right on top of her companion's words.

Hana glanced at the odd pair with impassive eyes. "No." What she thought or sensed of them she kept to herself.

"Hana's a psychic," Tohru offered. "Though it would be really amazing if she could talk to snakes too."

The dark-haired psychic picked up her fork, ignoring those around her. "I can sense different electrical signals," she said as she took a bite of her breakfast.

"Among other things," Arisa added dryly.

* * *

Sebastian nodded solemnly at Snake's report. "Very good," he complimented. "I shall be sure to inform the young master. In the meantime, I suggest you rest. I am sure you will be needed later."

The butler put a hand to his chin as he watched the man wearily head back to the servants' quarters. He'd been out all night at the young master's request, searching out the scent of their new guests with his snakes. Such an act had left the butler free to make sure nothing else happened. It helped that the snakes' sense of smell was quite excellent.

Sebastian stood in thought. The new developments were not necessarily unexpected, but still a cause for concern. After a moment's consideration, he decided to investigate the matter personally. Chances were good he'd be back before the earl needed him. That, and he knew the boy would want as much information as possible on the matter. Snake might have overlooked something, not knowing what to look for.


	6. Exploration and Information

**This is a sequel to Kuro Kishi, Shiro Pōn : Black Knight, White Pawn and Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō Black Knight : Dark Queen. If you have not yet read these two stories, I strongly suggest that you do.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, Black Butler, or Doctor Who. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Please note: I'm mainly basing this story off of the manga for both Black Butler and Fruits Basket, but will use references and such from the anime on both where it is needed to further the story. With that said, please enjoy the story.

Also, I am still currently writing this but will try to stay ahead of myself. I hope to upload a chapter a week, of varying lengths.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

Breakfast ended without further incidents, much to Ciel's relief. The fact that Sebastian hadn't yet returned told him he was investigating whatever report Snake had brought. He wasn't surprised. His main concern, however, was how to entertain the large party of guests he'd accumulated.

Part of that problem was eliminated with the removal of the Japanese party to rooms hastily prepared for them. Their exhaustion was quite evident, once the excitement had died down. Ciel had asked Tanaka and Mey-Rin to see to any needs they had before they retired for a much-needed rest. He'd get the details of their arrival later.

Ciel stared moodily at the rain soaked windows. The downpour had not let up yet. If Sebastian had the way of it, he'd be doing lessons all day. He wasn't looking forward to that possibility.

The Doctor had picked up a newspaper he'd found on the table. "More bad news," he tsked as he scanned the headlines. "Really wish we'd landed elsewhere."

Rose looked up from fiddling with her hands. "Why's that?"

The Doctor didn't even bother looking up as he replied. "Victoria."

"Oh." The blond bit her lip in comprehension. "Yeah. Hope we don't' run into her again. You think she'll remember that incident?"

"I hope not," the Doctor said and turned the page. "Course, might be best to avoid her if all possible. And with that rain, I should think that likely."

Ciel looked over at their comments. "Victoria? I assume you mean the queen."

The Doctor adjusted his glasses. "Well, yeah. That is to say, yes. We had a bit of a run in with her out in the country some time ago. Didn't exactly end well."

Rose stifled a snort. "That's an understatement. We only bloody helped save the world and what does she do? Makes the Doctor a knight and me a dame."

Ciel couldn't help but blink in surprise. "Sounds like things ended better off than you would have me believe. She doesn't knight just anyone." He racked his brains, trying to recall any mention of an incident that might match what he'd heard. But there were far from enough details to piece anything together.

The Doctor gave a wry smile. "Well, let's just say the queen was not amused and leave it at that." He didn't feel it necessary to tell the earl that they'd basically been banished from the kingdom. No, there was no need to tell him that.

The earl raised a brow but didn't comment. If they wanted to play that game, he would join in. after all, he loved a good challenge.

The drawing room door opened at that moment, bringing Sebastian back into the party. His hair and clothes looked a bit damp, but were still as impeccable as before. "Pardon the intrusion," he apologized. "I have just now returned from an errand that could not be delayed." He slipped a piece of paper to Ciel, then moved to check the coke in the fireplace.

"I trust all is in order," Ciel inquired as he accepted the paper. He walked back over form the window and took a seat near the Doctor. The paper was slipped into his pocket for later perusal.

Sebastian nodded as he dusted off his gloves. "Indeed. Our other guests are resting in their respective rooms. Preparations for lunch are being made. And, if I might say, I believe the rain will decrease by early afternoon."

The Doctor's eyebrows rose at that. "Ah, a weatherman, eh? Most convenient."

The butler smiled. "No. I'm merely one hell of a butler."

Rose clapped her hands against her thighs and looked around with some air of distraction. "You have a bit of music or something? Idle talk's all fine and dandy, but gets rather boring after a while."

The Doctor put down the newspaper. "Quite right. I was wondering if we may, with your permission," he glanced at Ciel, "do a bit of exploring?" He watched the earl intently.

Ciel exchanged glances with Sebastian, who raised a brow in question. The boy shrugged. "I don't suppose it will be a problem, so long as you stay in the more public areas. It would not do to disrupt the other guests."

"Fair enough," the Doctor replied as he stood, rubbing his hands together. "Rose, let's go explore some history. I have the lovely notion we might find some exquisite artwork dating back several hundred years."

Rose stood and made an awkward bow to the boy earl before following after her companion. "Scuse us," she said before leaving the room.

Ciel watched them go. "Keep on eye on them," he ordered his butler. "But don't let them know you're there. I have a feeling they're up to something."

Sebastian bowed. "Yes, my lord."

* * *

The hallways connecting the various parts of the manor were as vast as the rooms they'd previously visited, Rose decided. And the Doctor had been right about finding older artwork. She paused to admire a painting. "Funny to think this all belongs to that kid. I mean, it's huge and he's just so…."

"Little?" the Doctor supplied as he glanced down the hallway. He couldn't see anyone about. Feeling it safe, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

"Yeah," Rose replied with a foolish smile. She watched as her companion began scanning the area with the sonic device. "Anything?"

The screwdriver hummed as the light at the end glowed. "Not yet," he replied. "But then I'm not really sure what we're looking for."

Rose shook her head. They usually didn't know what to look for starting out. Of course it didn't help that one thing they did need to find hadn't been readily available. "And what about a place to recharge the TARDIS? We can't very well go anywhere without that."

The Doctor started down the hallway, the sonic screwdriver almost buzzing. "First things first," he admonished. "We need to figure out what brought us here in the first place. I never liked being knocked off course. I was so looking forward to a nice, quiet venture."

Rose hurried to catch up to her companion. "But what if we can't find it? What then? Are we to be stuck a hundred odd years in the past?"

The Doctor paused in front of a painting, pulling out his glasses to study it. He slipped the screwdriver back into his jacket with the same motion. "Don't worry. We always find a way out."

"I still think something's odd," Rose persisted. "I mean, think about it. The other guests who just happened to show up out of nowhere, rather like we did. Didn't it strike you as odd how they dressed? It somehow didn't fit with the period, if you get my meaning." She leaned against a table as she thought it through.

The Doctor's brows drew together at that and he turned from the painting. "You know, you might be right about that," he admitted. "I'd say their dress was more typical of the twenty-first century." He took off his glasses, pressing the frame against his chin. "But if that's the case, how on earth did they end up here?"

* * *

Tohru followed after Mey-Rin like a zombie. Breakfast had been very good, but having been up all night was taking its toll. "I hope Kyo's okay," she said as she looked towards the room Haru had been assigned. It was the same one Kyo had used last time they'd been there.

"This way," Mey-Rin called, realizing her charge had stopped. Sebastian had made sure to give her strict instructions about Tohru. Seeing as the girl had a bit of a sniffle coming in, he didn't want her cough to turn into a cold. And so she'd made sure to take the girl for a hot soak in the tub before turning in.

Her two friends had declined the use of the bathroom and had gone directly to their rooms. Since they didn't seem to exhibit the potential signs of getting sick, the maid had been more than willing to let them. They were probably already asleep.

Tohru looked up, not realizing she'd zoned out. "Huh?" she quickly moved to follow the maid. "Sorry. Guess I'm falling asleep on my feet."

"Poor dear," Mey-Rin tsked and led her to the same room she'd used before. "This way. I'll just turn down the covers for you." She moved to fold back the bedding, forgetting to close the door. When she reached for the bedding, she thought she felt something and jerked back the covers. Something jumped out at her as the covers were removed from the bed. The maid led out a shriek.

* * *

"What was that?" Rose inquired, looking around. Then the sound came again. "Sounds almost like someone screaming."

The Doctor straightened, his expression intense. "Definitely a scream. Let's go!" He didn't so much as bother to look behind him to make sure Rose was following as he bolted back down the hallway they'd traversed.

They were joined by Sebastian, who seemed to come out of nowhere. "That voice belongs to Mey-Rin," he said as he kept pace with the others. "This way." He veered to another hallway, heading towards the guest rooms. More sounds of distress floated towards them as they neared the wing.

"Help! Help! Mr. Sebastian!" Mey-Rin's voice called out from the only open door.

Something invisible flew past them, like a swiftly moving breeze. The Doctor paused momentarily in his stride, contemplating going after it when the sound of the maid's voice continued in distress. Deciding the more immediate crisis lay in the room, he brushed aside the notion to follow the escaping entity and entered the room behind the others.

"Oh, Mr. Sebastian!" the maid wailed from the floor. "It's horrible! Miss Tohru! You gotta do something!" She pointed to the girl with shaking fingers, her face almost white.

Tohru lay face down on the carpet like she'd collapsed there. Sebastian moved to her side and gently rolled her over. "Miss Tohru?" he called, feeling for a pulse. He could hear her heart beating faintly and decided it was likely not a result of being ill, though he couldn't be sure. He turned to look around the room and spotted the Doctor standing in the doorway. "Dr. Smith, would you be so kind as to come here?"

Rose moved to Mey-Rin's side as the Doctor joined the butler. "You okay?" she asked the maid. "Think you can tell us what happened?"

Mey-Rin shook as she sobbed. "T'was horrible, it was," she said, her glasses fogging over. "I just went to turn down the covers when something jumped out from under them."

Both the Doctor and butler looked up at that. "What did it look like?" the time lord asked.

"Can you describe it," Sebastian asked at the same time.

Mey-Rin shook her head. "Don't know. Just came flying out like a giant bat. Only didn't look like one. Couldn't see clear enough to tell. Seemed all kinds of fuzzy round the edges, making it hard to see."

Sebastian returned to examining Tohru as the Doctor moved to the bed. "I don't detect any outward signs of trauma," he announced. "Mey-Rin, this is important. Can you tell me what happened to Miss Tohru?"

The maid continued to shake in Rose's arms. "That thing, it flew right at her and seemed to stick to her like glued paper. She fought it for a bit, then fell to the ground just like you found her. Don't know what it did, but it left in a hurry."

The Doctor poked at the bedding, putting his glasses back on as he examined it. "Something was definitely here," he observed. "Not sure what, though. Have to do more tests." He moved back over to where Sebastian was trying to make Tohru more comfortable. "She still breathing?"

The butler gave a curt nod. "Her pulse is faint but still consistent. Whatever it was that attacked her seems to have put her in a state of shock."

"May I?" the time traveler asked as he went down on one knee. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver at the nod of permission from the butler. "Let's see if we can get a better idea with this," he said as he fiddled with the settings, then began to scan it over her body.

Sebastian raised his brow at the use of the device, having seen the man using it earlier in the hallway. "A most interesting instrument you have there," he commented. "What exactly does it do?"

The Doctor didn't so much as look up from his examination as he replied. "A bit o' this, a bit o' that. Completely depends on the setting. Right now I'm looking for any traces of what attacked her. Maybe if we can figure out what it is, then we can find it."

Rose looked up from attending to the maid, who had fainted. "Think it might be what we're looking for? The reason the TARDIS crashed?"

The Doctor studied the readings. "Anything's possible. In fact, you might be right about that," he said as he slowly stood and moved towards the bed, still scanning. "Whatever it is, it seems to consume energy. And not just any energy."

"Chronon particles," Rose supplied, her eyes going wide at the realization.

"Exactly," the Doctor confirmed. "Which leads back to our previous conversation. Miss Tohru and her friends are in fact time travelers. And only recently have arrived, judging from the amount of particles present."

Rose shifted Mey-Rin so that she could stand. "Which means that whatever we're looking for probably feasts on Chronon energy! Which would explain why the TARDIS crashed."

The Doctor ran over to his companion and hugged her. "Yes! That explains everything!" He danced a little jig with her, before remembering that they weren't alone. The realization calmed him down quickly and he let go of his friend, clearing his throat. "Almost everything," he added. "How on earth did they get here?"

Sebastian watched this display with a calm face. It confirmed what he and the young master had suspected. These two were indeed time travelers, though they apparently used a different means of travel than the others had. The technology proved it. It was unlike anything he'd seen before. "And what does this mean for my master's guest?"

Remembering the plight of Tohru, the Doctor dropped back down beside her. "Not really sure. I think whatever it was didn't have enough time to drain her of all the energy, since there's plenty of particles still floating around. Chances are good it'll try again. And if the others are as saturated as she is, they'll be targeted too. One way to find out."

"And how's that," the butler asked. "Do you mean to use that device on all of them?"

Looking up, the Doctor shrugged. "Definitely the fastest way," he admitted. "But first, we should do something about Miss Tohru here. I don't think her life is in any real danger. Doesn't look like this creature got more than a good taste. But she'll definitely wake up with a wicked headache. Possibly be violently ill too, I wouldn't wonder. Best thing to do is make sure she's comfortable until the shock to her system wears off."

"You know I must report this incident to the young master," Sebastian reminded. "I'm sure he will be quite interested to learn about recent events."

The Doctor nodded. "Given the circumstances, I quite agree. And I really recommend having someone keep an eye on her, just in case it comes back and tries for seconds."

Rose moved to Tohru's side. "It should be me," she volunteered. "I'll keep an eye on her. I somehow don't think the maid will do right now." She glanced over at the unconscious woman.

"I quite agree," Sebastian intoned as he put a gloved hand to his chin. "Mey-Rin will likely suffer some adverse reaction to this event and might not be up to the task. Though I do suggest we remove Miss Tohru to a different room. At least for the time being."

The Doctor nodded as he contemplated the situation. "I think you're right," he said. "Might help displace the concentration of Chronon particles around her if we use a different room. Preferably an unused one. If only I had some equipment from the TARDIS, we could possibly create some kind of energy barrier."

The butler glanced between the two time traveling companions. He thought about the odd blue box he'd found in the woods. He'd been unable to open it, for whatever reason, even with his demon magic. That alone made it interesting. "Would you be referring to a certain blue box with the words Police Box inscribed on it?"

Both time travelers started in shock at this question, looking between each other with open mouths. "How did you know," the Doctor finally asked.

Sebastian smiled. "I have means and ways of learning about that which is near the vicinity of my master. After all, it is part of my job description to make sure he is protected. Snake's friends found it early this morning, something that quite wore them out, I might add. So, I went to investigate the matter for myself."

"That's a bit of a walk," Rose commented, remembering how they'd had to trudge through the rain and mud to get to any sense of civilization.

The butler suppressed his amusement. There was no need for them to know his origins at this time. "What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't do something as simple as that?"

The Doctor shook his head. He had some suspicions, but nothing confirmed. But he'd keep them to himself for now. "Anyway, the point is it would be helpful if I did have some of the tools from inside, but until we can retrieve it, we'll have to make due with what we've got."

Sebastian inclined his head. "I will see to preparing another room immediately." He moved towards the door, glanced briefly at Mey-Rin, and left. He would make sure the maid found her way back to her quarters after current matters were taken care of.


	7. Second Attack

**This is a sequel to Kuro Kishi, Shiro Pōn : Black Knight, White Pawn and Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō Black Knight : Dark Queen. If you have not yet read these two stories, I strongly suggest that you do.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, Black Butler, or Doctor Who. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Please note: I'm mainly basing this story off of the manga for both Black Butler and Fruits Basket, but will use references and such from the anime on both where it is needed to further the story. With that said, please enjoy the story.

Also, I am still currently writing this but will try to stay ahead of myself. I hope to upload a chapter a week, of varying lengths.

 **Quick apology for not posting a chapter last week. My husband had an emergency appendectomy and that took up all of my focus and energy. That said, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. The next two might be a few weeks late as I am going out on business.**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

Ciel took out the note Sebastian had given him and smoothed out the paper. With the others gone on various occupations, he felt safe in reading the butler's report without intrusion.

Scanning the paper, the boy felt his curiosity, and frustration, growing. Sebastian could be so maddening at times. He looked at the paper again. _I have found their point of origin,_ it said. _More details to follow._

At least it confirmed what they'd already guessed. The good doctor and his companion were definitely not from their century. He felt sure there was more to it than just that but knew he'd have to wait to find out what.

Thoroughly bored, the earl moved to the study. He could at least look over business reports for his company. It was something that should have been done days before, but he'd not been in the mood. "I hope this turn of events won't disappoint me," he said.

* * *

Kyo woke with a start. Unsure of the cause, he looked around, not immediately recognizing where he was. But judging from the height of the furniture to his head, he decided he'd managed to transform into his more feline form. It took him a moment longer to realize he was still in the room they'd gone in to change upon first arriving at Ciel's manor.

The ginger-haired cat let out a yawn and stretched. The clothes he'd changed into before passing out were underneath him. He could hear the rain still coming down outside and wondered at the time. The overcast sky made judging the light in the room next to impossible.

Looking around, Kyo noted the lights were off. They'd probably left him to sleep while the others went to breakfast. Thinking about food made his stomach growl. He jumped up onto the bed, scampering across. They usually kept a basin or something of water somewhere nearby, he remembered. If he could find it, he'd at least be able to get a drink. If it wasn't empty.

He spotted the pitcher and washbowl on a small table on the other side of the room. With a running start, he leapt off the bed and charged at the table. At the last possible second, he sprang for the top, clambering to keep from slipping off the smooth finish.

Safely on the washstand, Kyo peered over the edge of the porcelain vessel with hopeful eyes. His head drooped as he realized it was empty. "Damn." His stomach rumbled again.

Something rustled under the bed and the boy-cat turned. "Who's there?" he called out, sure that whatever it was wasn't human. He sniffed the air but couldn't identify the scent. It reminded him of something metallic.

The hair on his body stood on end as whatever it was moved again. "I don't like that sound of that," he decided. A quick glance at the door told him there'd be no escape that way. The door was closed. He'd never manage to open it in cat form.

Seeing no other way out, Kyo decided he'd have to do something drastic. After some thought, he positioned himself between the washbowl and the wall. Using all his strength, he pushed the china towards the table's edge. The resulting crash was both loud and satisfying.

Kyo felt a puff of air pass over him. It had come from the direction of the bed. He flew into the air with a feral howl of rage, landing on the carpet on all fours. His hair stuck out like bristles on a brush.

Footsteps pounded from outside the room and the door was thrown open. But before the boy could determine who had opened the door, a loud popping sound announced his transformation back to human form, along with a good deal of smoke. He felt a blanket fall over his body before the smoke had a chance to clear. Then the lights went on.

"Is everything alright in here," an unfamiliar voice called out as the boy tried to push back the edge of the blanket so he could see. He looked up to see the odd man who had been in the main entryway earlier. Who was he again? He wasn't sure.

"Don't look," Kyo cried out as the man in the brown suit moved to grab the blanket. He pulled the quilt around him so that no one need see he was naked under the fabric.

Sebastian stood just behind the other man, looking over the scene. He'd managed to cover the boy just in time, realizing what was happening the moment he heard the initial popping sound. It was, of course, the sound of breaking glass that had first caught his attention. Then the yowl had sped him towards the room, the Doctor right beside him.

"Master Kyo," the butler said as he moved towards the boy's discarded clothes. He took in the broken washbowl and water pitcher, as well as the boy's harried heartbeat. It beat double-time to the Doctor's duel hearts beating. "What happened?" He picked up the clothes and moved them to easy reaching distance of the boy.

"How the hell should I know," Kyo grumbled. "One minute I'm asleep, the next minute I hear some funny sound coming from under the bed. Not sure what it was, but I think it flew at me."

"As a result you managed to knock the basin off the washstand and ended up here on the floor," the butler finished for him, a bit of a question in his tone. It would not do to let the Doctor know all the cards in the deck just yet. Not to mention that he'd been charged to keep the Sohma's curse a secret.

The boy pulled the pants towards him, turning to slip them on so that the others wouldn't see anything as he put them on. "Something like that," he agreed, relieved that nothing further was needed to make the story sound right. It was close enough to the truth, after all.

The Doctor pursed his lips. "Might be the same thing that attacked Tohru earlier," he mused. "Mind if I check?" He glanced at the butler for permission.

"Wait. What?" Kyo quickly scrambled free of the blanket, forgoing putting the shirt on in his concern. "What about Tohru being attacked? Where is she? Is she okay?"

Sebastian put a restraining hand on the boy's shoulder. "Miss Tohru is fine. Rose Tyler, the Doctor's companion, is sitting with her. She's sleeping right now. More importantly, what can you tell us about this something that attacked you?"

Kyo ran his hands down his face in agitation. "I don't know." He still wanted to run and find Tohru, but knew that might take longer than he wanted since he didn't know where she was. Maybe if he cooperated, they'd bring him to her sooner than later. "I didn't really get a good look at it. It was more like something I felt. Before it jumped at me, I smelled something metallic."

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and began scanning the area. He licked his lips and nodded. "Definitely a connection," he confirmed. "Same readings. Can't say it was the exact same, or maybe a relative, though. But it was definitely the same kind of being from the other room."

Kyo eyed the strange man with distrust as he moved towards him, waving the funny stick in his direction. "What the hell is that?" he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Just as I thought," the Doctor continued. "Chronon particles. And in a very high concentration too. Just like with the other one. Looks like you didn't actually make contact with whatever it is, though." He slipped the device back into his pocket and peered at the boy over the rims of his glasses, which he still wore from examining the other room. "You haven't done a lot of time traveling lately, have you?"

The boy reeled at this question. "What?" His eyes went wide and he felt self-consciously for the shirt still on the floor. "What kind of question is that?"

"I'm sure you've already discerned that master Kyo and his party all have come from a different era," Sebastian answered for him. "As to the frequency of such travel, I can safely say that of their party, Miss Tohru and master Kyo have traveled the most. We first met several months ago when they first visited the area."

Kyo looked at Sebastian like he was some kind of traitor. Who did he think he was, telling this funny man about their adventures? It wasn't right and it made him mad. "Oh, yeah? And what about you and Ciel? You guys visited our time too! Not only that, but you dragged us into crazy crap with demons and witches and almost got both me and Tohru killed!"

It was the Doctor's turn to glance questioningly towards the butler. "Is that true?"

Sebastian held a long sigh in check. He hadn't wanted to let that particular cat out of the bag, but now that it was, there was no helping it. "It is true that the young master and I journeyed to master Kyo's time. We went in search of a creature under the Queen's orders. The details of the matter are most unfortunate, but things ended well."

Kyo snorted. "If you call me being ensnared by a witch and used like a battery "ending well", then yeah, things ended well." He grabbed for the shirt and angrily thrust his arms through the appropriate holes.

The Doctor rubbed at his temple. "Now wait a minute. Let me get this straight. Pretty much everyone here in this manor, except for the other servants, have somehow recently traveled through time. And not only that, but you encountered some kind of entity that tried to use this boy as a power source? This is a story I really must hear."

Clearing his throat, the butler wondered just how to deter this conversation until later. "Perhaps it would be wise to consult with the young master before any such tale is unfolded for the telling," he advised. "As I am merely a humble butler, it is not my place to provide the details of this matter, or the one previous."

It was hard to not hear the tone in the butler's words so the Doctor nodded. "Fair enough. But since you have traveled in time, I think it'd be wise to check you and everyone else for Chronon particles. They can stick around for a while, which might be why those two have such a high concentration of them."

Sebastian's thoughts ran a thousand miles a second as he contemplated what such a request might bring to light about his origins. He had no way of knowing just how advanced this man and his companion was, but he rather though it more than Kyo and Tohru. The device he'd used to scan had decidedly proved that. He couldn't risk letting out the secret of his true identity to any who did not already know. Not unless the earl ordered it, or he deemed it necessary. Which he didn't at this time.

To stall, the butler pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at the numbers. "As prudent as your suggestion may be, it is my duty to remind you that I am the butler of this household and have duties that must be kept in order to keep on schedule. The young master will soon be expecting elevensies and will not like them to be delayed."

The Doctor all but hopped. "Oh, right. Can't be having that now, can we?" He glanced around the room. "I suppose we'd best leave Kyo here to get decent and meet up with the earl?"

Kyo fumed as the butler nodded. He hated it when people talked around him like he wasn't there. Maybe it was a bad time to remind them that he'd still like to see Tohru.


End file.
